how is the manual transmission

[halli09]

hey i was just wondering how the manual transmission was in the 09 yaris. is it pretty solid or would you recommend the automatic?

[Tamago]

can you drive the car like a normal person and not try to racerboy bang the gears everywhere you go?

yes?


then the 5spd is for you :)

[mikenacarato]

lol @ above.

i love the yaris trans. its super smooth and even better with the nst ssk!

[Tamago]

it does suffer heavily from weak synchros however.

[Altitude]

I wouldn't buy a Yaris (or any other car for that matter)that wasn't manual. Auto trans robs too much power for the tiny Yaris engine.

[Bob Dog]

A little four needs a manual transmission. An automatic robs the car of horsepower and with a manual you are able to select what gearing you are using by means of human intelligence as opposed to a box of hydralic fluid.

[transcendentalcrap]

I've driven both in LB form and am split.

The manual is better if you not the aforementioned racer-boy-wanna-be but suffers from quirky shifting when it's cold out and the auto choke is revving high.

The automatic is geared to have comprable acceleration where it counts 55mph to 75mph but is not quite as useful for obvious reasons. The automatic does suffer, imho, in the lower mph range; in town range might be an accurate characterization (20mph to 45mph).

For what its worth I did buy the manual.

[Goose]

I've owned both auto and manual versions of the Yaris. Both trannys are very well designed and smooth. I would let the kind of driving you do determine which you get, since both transmissions perform very well.

[yarismaris]

I ahve 07 Yaris with manual. Stock, it was not bad. I changed out the stock oil with Red Line synthetic, and now it is smooth as glass and a joy to drive. No more reverse clunk either. You will find that lots of people on this forum made that same switch.

[Lazerdot]

My car has a simple short shift that was put right on top of the transmision. One small clip to remove, plop the new part in reclip and done. Makes it a different car and a real fun. I'll be getting NST bushings to make it even better. Best car for the money I have ever owned.!

[cdavidhess]

The manual is smooth and easy to use. Like any manual transmission, it may take a little time to get used to its "feel."

[texkid]

Believe it or not, the manual tranny is pretty strong. A 4-banger always rocks with a manual tranny

[MadMax]

Well, I guess I'll give the other side of the coin...

Get the auto. The gas mileage rating isn't that much different, and if you are ever stuck in traffic, having a manual sucks! Plus, as I've said before, you can always manual shift the auto, but you can't auto shift the manual!

When I was searching for my Yaris, the autos outnumbered the manuals by a factor of something like 7:1. I believe Toyota sent a considerable number of more autos over, mainly because the gas mileage wasn't that different and the manual transmission and/or clutch is a bit rough (see the earlier synchros comment). It is still a lively car with the auto, and much more relaxing to drive when you need it to be.

And the torque converters on autos can be quite beneficial in certain circumstances!

[Morgan]

I'm curious to see how the new transmission holds up... [I bought my 07 used with 5k miles and at 29k miles my third gear synchro made it almost impossible to shift to 3rd without a loud metal grinding sound; Toyota replaced the transmission with a transmission from a 09 model and so far so good]

I had an xA auto and thats the reason I switched to the yaris, the auto was a little boring for me, but to each his own - just depends on what you want! GL

[eTiMaGo]

Yaris 5 speed + TRD Quickshift + NST Quickshift 2nd Stage + TWM Aluminum Shifter Cage Bushings + NST Aluminum Shift Cable Bushings = Pure Awesome...

Cheers

+1

Nothing like the satisfying "clunk" of the lever smoothly falling into position as if on rails :smile:

Personally I would not want an auto transmission in the Yaris. Sure, I live in a city well known for its traffic jams and it's a real pain in the leg (:biggrin:) sometimes, but you get used to it, a small price to pay...

[JBougie]

Hmm .... I am due for a tranny flush here in about 10k and I think I'll be switching up the fluid type - I have noticed that the gears really do grind more often than I'm OK with, and I hate the reverse thud noise. But seriously, the grinding could very well be from driving with heels :) It happens like once every couple months (it's not a daily thing by any means)

All and all I love the tranny, I didn't expect to get to 42k and have no issues (I have an 07 that I bought right off the showroom floor) so I am *super* happy with it :)

[JBougie]

+1

Nothing like the satisfying "clunk" of the lever smoothly falling into position as if on rails :smile:

Personally I would not want an auto transmission in the Yaris. Sure, I live in a city well known for its traffic jams and it's a real pain in the leg (:biggrin:) sometimes, but you get used to it, a small price to pay...

+1 on that - traffic is the worst part, but my calves are in awesome shape so I can't complain lol

[eTiMaGo]

+1 on that - traffic is the worst part, but my calves are in awesome shape so I can't complain lol

Funny thing is, after along stint in traffic, once I get out of the car, my right leg actually hurts quite a bit more than the left!

[schleppy]

I would recommend the manual over the auto for sure. The Yaris is fun to drive when you're actually involved in it.

With that being said, don't expect the Yaris to have a great feel when it's new. I have around 4000 miles on my 09 and the transmission feels much better than it did when new. Give it time, and be patient with it.

[auxmike]

I bought an auto mainly because the only 5 speed I could find after checking 3 dealerships in person was a bare bones HB in red.:frown:
The auto is'nt that bad and you'll never have the hassel of changing a clutch later on. I'm 100% satisfied with my purchase. I considered the Fit, but it's was kinda expensive and they only had the IROC blue ones and I liked the bronze colored ones. Also, the original Fits look kinda dinky and the YAris looks more solid and masculine.....

[Lewis]

After coming from a 5dr Mazda 3 with stick the Yaris stick was quite an adjustment. Both the clutch pedal and the shifter are MUCH lighter in feel and easier to move on the Yaris but the flip side is they are lacking in precision compared to the Mazda 3. Now that I am used to it I like the feel of the Yaris very much and it certainly is less tiring to drive the Yaris stick than my Mazda 3 stick was- albiet with a little less reward dynamically.

[wooverstone8]

I would recommend the manual over the auto for sure. The Yaris is fun to drive when you're actually involved in it.

+1

[MadMax]

I would recommend the manual over the auto for sure. The Yaris is fun to drive when you're actually involved in it.


Errrr...it is an auto-transmission, not an auto-pilot! Ya still gotta drive the car! :thumbsup:

[Bob Dog]

No, you don't change the clutch with an auto... you have to change or rebuild the whole darn transmission.